Hot on the heels of Vol. 8, we’re thrilled to have had our latest Spoken Word & Nature Disco selected and mixed by Richard Norris to coincide with the publication of his book Strange Things Are Happening.

Vols. 1 & 2 of the irregular series were made collaboratively by Richard and Jeff way back in 2011, as soundtracks to an event, overlooking the River Dart, organised by the poet Alice Oswald (you can still find those on the CBTR Mixcloud here). For Vol. 9, Richard brings things gorgeously full circle, mixing Alice’s words into a beautifully strange and mesmerising selection of music, field recordings and spoken word pieces from the likes of Keeley Forsyth, Andrew Wasylyk, Alice Coltrane, Matthew Shaw, Ivor Cutler and Richard himself. Following its first play on James Endeacott’s Morning Glory Soho Radio show this morning, stream the mix below:

Strange Things Are Happening is published today by White Rabbit Books.

Spoken Word & Nature Disco Vol. 9 was selected and mixed by Richard Norris at Metal Box, Lewes, East Sussex, March 2024

— Tracklist —

1. Field Recording – Birdsong at Dawn, Port Eliot. Recorded by Richard Norris

2. Phil France – Kubrick

3. Richard Norris – Eight

4. Matthew Shaw – Music From The Filmmaker’s House

5. The Three Dimensions

6. Henry Thoreau – Nature

7. Shida Shahibi – Deep Violet of Gold

8. Jack Kerouac, Steve Allen – The Sounds Of The Universe

9. The Long Now – After The Flood

10. Laurence Ferlinghetti – The World Is A Beautiful Place

11. D.Rothon – Aquarius Rising

12. Matthew Shaw – Past The Touch Of The Living

13. Richard Norris – Cornflower

14. Alice Oswald – A Short Story of Falling

15. Jas Shaw – Durationals – Early On

16. Garden Gate – Magic Lantern Theme

17. Gary Snyder – Mid August at Sourdough Mountain

18. Emil Fris and Patricia Fraile – A Moment In Time

19. Mary Oliver – Percy / I Go Down to the Shore

20. Brian Eno – Kites 1

21. Keeley Forsyth – Horse

22. Andrew Wasylyk – Dreamt In The Current Leafless Winter

23. Ivor Cutler – A Red Flower

24. Knoel Scott, Marshall Allen – The Melody of Air

25. D Rothon  – A Waft of Lavender, A Tang of Sulphur

26. Krishnamurti – A discussion on the religious mind

27. Alice Coltrane – Shiva Loka

28. Prospero’s closing speech from The Tempest

Thanks to Jeff Barrett, Jon Savage

For Matthew Shaw – Get Well Soon 🙂